1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of containers which can be set in the ground for enclosing pump regulators and the like, and more specifically, to a meter box and cover having unique design aspects.
2. Prior Art
Meter boxes are well known in the art and are generally made of molded concrete with a fitted concrete or metal cover. These type of meter boxes suffer the obvious shortcomings in that they are heavy, and are susceptible to damage. Moreover, the covers are also difficult to use in that the cover must usually be completely removed in order to gain entry into the box. The cover, being a separable unit, may be misplaced at the job site necessitating the user to replace the cover with a new one. In addition, vandals can remove such covers or carry away a cover that the user failed to replace on the box. This leaves the contents of the box exposed; a potentially dangerous situation.
Many improvements have been made to this form of meter box an example of which is disclosed by Brooks. U.S. Pat. No. 3,843,013. Brooks shows a meter box moulded out of a fibrous plastic material which has a substantially rigid plastic cover held by a ledge in the meter box. In order to open the box of Brooks, the first embodiment discloses the use of a tool which is inserted into the cover and bent inwardly, thereby causing the rigid cover to yieldably disengage from the box.
This assembly also contains a number of obvious shortcomings discussed with reference to concrete meter boxes. For example, the meter box of Brooks still requires the user to completely remove the cover before access into the box is possible. Again, the propensity for loss and/or theft of the cover, as well as damage to the contents of the box, is possible. In utilizing the box of Brooks, each time the box is to be opened, substantial inward-directed force must be applied to flexible members in order to get them to pivotably rotate a substantial distance so as to disengage the cover from the box.
In a second embodiment of Brooks, a relatively complicated spring and latch system and associated tool means is also disclosed. Under the first method used to open the box, the force that was needed to flex the inter-locking members may weaken these members and therefore render such a cover susceptible to easy and quick deterioration. In the latter alternative, the expense of a spring actuated locking system substantially increases the cost of such a meter box. Finally, the meter box of Brooks contains various engaging and opening means which are of complicated design and therefore increase the cost of construction of such a box.
Thus, the prior art assemblies are either made of concrete and are extremely heavy and susceptible to damage due to dropping and the like or are made of plastic, but contain members which are expensive to make and susceptible to easy deterioration. In addition, the problem of complete removal of the meter cover remains.
The present invention provides a meter box and associated cover which are easy to install and use, and which contain none of the shortcomings of the prior art. Because the meter box of the present invention is relatively straight forward and simple to make, it is not susceptible to the problem of excessive wear and tear and it is relatively inexpensive to produce. The meter box of the instant invention has a uniquely designed cover which does not require its complete removal in order to gain entry into the box. Thus, the above identified problem of the cover associated with the prior art boxes is overcome.